Passing variable values between PHP pages.

[Mr Initial Man]

If I have a variable that I want to pass from one page to the next, what is the best way to do it?

The current method I am using is by URIs.

Page 1:
$chapter = $_GET['chapter'];
#...
echo('
#...
<li><a href="./glossary.php?fromchapter='.$chapter.'">Smilodon/English Dictionary</a></li>
#...
');


Page 2:

$from=$_GET['fromchapter'];
if(empty($from))
{
echo ('<li><a href="./fighter.php?chapter=0">Prologue</a></li>');
}
else
{
if($from==0)
{
echo ('<li><a href=./fighter.php?chapter='.$from.'>Back to Prologue</a></li>');
}
else
{
echo ('<li><a href=./fighter.php?chapter='.$from.'>Back to Chapter '.$from.'</a></li>');
}
}


But it seems to me there's got to be a better way to do this. Any suggestions?

[GaryS]

Could use sessions?

[bokeh]

I really believe the method you are using is the best. The purpose of the query string is retrieval and that is exactly what you are using it for.

[Mr Initial Man]

If $_GET['fromchapter'] = 0, will the PHP read that the same as it being empty?

[NogDog]

Yes: zero, an empty string, or the variable not being set will all return TRUE from the empty() function.

[bokeh]

Not if you do this

if($_GET['fromchapter']==='0')

[bokeh]

If zero is a valid user input, instead of checking the variable like this:if(!empty($_GET['fromchapter'])) check it like this:if(isset($_GET['fromchapter']) and is_numeric($_GET['fromchapter']))